The Kentucky football team’s streak-busting 27-16 win at No. 25 Florida on Saturday night earned recognition as the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week as selected by the Football Writers Association of America, it was announced Monday.
The Wildcats scored a cathartic victory at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, ending the Gators’ 31-game winning streak in the series. It was the Cats’ first win over Florida since 1986, first win in Gainesville since 1979 and first-ever win in The Swamp over a ranked Florida squad.
This is the second time UK has been selected as the national team of the week by the FWAA, also receiving the honor in September 2007 after knocking off Arkansas 42-29 in Fayetteville one week after upsetting No. 9 Louisville in Lexington.
On Saturday, the Cats erased a 10-7 halftime deficit with a pair of touchdowns that gave them a 21-10 lead deep into the fourth quarter. Florida cut the deficit to 21-16 with 3:34 remaining but the Cats ran the clock to under a minute before pinning the Gators deep in their own territory with a final shot at scoring. UK linebacker Josh Allen’s strip sack that was returned for a touchdown by safety Davonte Robinson sealed the victory.
The 16 points scored by Florida was the second-lowest total for the Gators in the series since 1986. The Gators scored 14 in 2015 in a 14-9 win in Lexington.
The Football Writers Association of America’s National Team of the Week was created as part of the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll in 2002. Since then, it has been awarded each Monday during the regular season by various committees that have included members of the FWAA All-America Committee, the association’s board of directors and its past presidents.
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For more information contact:
Susan Lax